Wednesday, February 17, 2016

February 17, 2016 (BBC News Europe) RAF
Typhoons have been scrambled to intercept two Russian bombers heading towards
UK airspace, the Ministry of Defence has said. The jets were dispatched from
RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on Wednesday afternoon following the security
alert. An RAF spokesman said the situation was "on-going" and was not
uncommon. "We have Typhoons up on a quick reaction alert," he said. The
UK's airspace extends 12 miles from the UK coastline. The RAF has intercepted
Russian military planes six times in the past 12 months. In November two
Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers were escorted by Typhoon jets
after being detected flying over the Atlantic. Andrew Brookes, a fellow at the
Royal United Services Institute and former RAF pilot, said there was no reason
why the planes should enter UK airspace and the incidents were signs of
"Russia flexing its muscles". "They are not trying to provoke a
war," he said. "It isn't a Cold War... they are just using these
tactics to poke us in the chest."